The Access Store: More Than Where You Get Your Supplies

I have been living with a spinal cord injury for more than 45 years, and one thing I have learned is that your needs do not stay the same.

What mattered immediately after my injury was not necessarily what mattered five years later—or 20 or 40 years later.

That is one of the ideas behind The Access Store.

For many people, the relationship begins with supplies. They are leaving rehab, or someone recommends us, and they need a reliable place to call. We help with the order, we get to know the routine, and we keep helping as that routine continues.

That is important work. But it is not the whole story.

Over 30 years, we have learned that living with SCI or disability is not a fixed situation. The products change. The problems change. The goals change. A person who is focused on getting a routine established today may be thinking about work, travel, transfers, mobility, home changes, recreation, aging, or something completely new a few years from now.

The Access Store exists to help people work through those next steps.

Manage Your Health

A lot of everyday life with SCI is built around routines that support health.

That may mean bowel and bladder management, skin care, continence products, or the supplies that become part of a regular day. Those routines are personal. They need to work in real life—not just on paper.

Sometimes the question is simply where to get the supplies you already use. Sometimes it is whether there may be a product or approach that fits your current routine better. Maybe a schedule has changed. Maybe travel is making something harder. Maybe you have been using the same item for years and are wondering whether another option exists.

We are here to help with the practical side of those questions. For clinical advice or treatment decisions, your healthcare team is the right place to start. But if you want to understand product options, talk through a daily routine, or know what questions to ask next, we can help you begin.

Enhance Your Mobility

Mobility is not only about choosing a wheelchair.

It is about where you want to go, what you want to do, and what needs to work to make that possible.

The right mobility equipment can make a big difference. But choosing the equipment is only one part of the job. It needs to be properly set up. It needs to fit the way you live. You need to understand how to use it. And when something is not working the way it should, you need someone who can help get it back on track.

That is why The Access Store’s mobility work includes more than equipment. It includes setup, adjustment, maintenance, service, and repair. Our relationship with a customer should not end when the equipment leaves the store.

Live Independently

Everyday independence is made up of small things.

Getting into the shower. Carrying what you need. Reaching something in the kitchen. Managing a transfer. Travelling with supplies. Getting out the door in the morning. Feeling more comfortable at home. Finding a way to do something that takes less energy.

No two people solve those problems in exactly the same way. Sometimes the answer is an adaptive product. Sometimes it is a better setup. Sometimes it is an idea that comes from someone who has been through something similar. And sometimes it is a conversation with the right professional.

The important thing is not assuming that because you have always done something one way, it is the only way it can be done.

A team of practical people

The Access Store is also different because practical experience is not limited to one person.

I bring more than 45 years of experience living with SCI. Amanda, Ian, and other members of our team bring their own experience, product knowledge, and practical perspective to the work. That does not mean we have experienced every situation. It does mean many of the conversations customers bring to us are conversations we understand on a very real level.

We will be introducing more of those people and perspectives through The SCI Community in the months ahead.

What comes next

Not everyone with SCI follows the same path. We certainly do not.

But most of us continue adapting throughout our lives. Needs change. Goals change. A routine that once worked well may need another look. A piece of equipment may need adjustment or repair. A new challenge may be a reason to ask a better question.

For 30 years, The Access Store has helped people find practical solutions along that journey.

We are going to get much better at sharing what we have learned.

You may know us for supplies. We would like you to know us for what comes next.